Photo credit: KANM
Dr. Fred Ssewamala, Barnabas Nawangwe, and Dr. Noeline Nakasujja, with ICHAD team members, research training program fellows, and partners at the Forum on Child and Adolescent Global Health Research and Capacity Building, in Kampala, Uganda in June 2022.
AHISA Events
The Promise of Implementation Science in Adapting to COVID: The Case of Adolescent HIV. An affiliated independent event of the Virtual International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science in 2021. Co-chaired by Drs. Elizabeth Lowenthal and Michael Mbizvo.
The goal of the AHISA COVID webinar was to understand the possibilities that implementation science offers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and what implementation science research questions could help collectively navigate the pandemic response, as assessed through the AHISA network and COVID-19 survey. This one-hour webinar looked at the results of a three-part survey, as well as two case studies from the field.
Adolescent HIV prevention and treatment implementation science alliance. International AIDS Conference satellite in 2018. Co-chaired by Drs. Linda-Gail Bekker and Rachel Sturke.
Photo (c) IAS/Steve Forrest/Workers' PhotosLinda-Gail Bekker, MBChB, DTMH, DCH, FCP(SA), PhD
Adolescent HIV prevention and treatment require multifaceted approaches that are complex and don’t always work in real world settings. Implementation science can help address important implementation challenges. Indeed, effective use of evidence from implementation science can be enhanced through more robust collaborations between researchers, program implementers, and policymakers. This satellite session gave insight into how the AHISA helps to enhance the effective use of evidence to help overcome implementation challenges related to HIV among adolescents in Africa by catalyzing collaboration and communication between researchers, program implementers and policymakers. Members of the Alliance discussed the use of IS to inform prevention and treatment of HIV among adolescents, implementation science capacity needs in this area, and present case studies of their work as it relates to critical implementation science topic areas for this population.
Photo credit: Fogarty International CenterPanel Discussion: Using IS to address AYA HIV at International AIDS Conference satellite in 2023
Advancing implementation science for adolescent HIV in high burden African countries. International AIDS Conference satellite in 2023. Co-chaired by Dr Rachel Sturke and Susan Vorkoper.
This symposium highlighted findings from the May 2023 “Advancing Implementation Science for Adolescent HIV Prevention and Treatment in High Burden African Countries” supplement in AIDS & Behavior. This special supplement represents the collective learning of the Adolescent HIV Prevention and Treatment Implementation Science Alliance (AHISA) related to implementation science in the context of the adolescent HIV continuum of care from multiple African countries. Specifically, this symposium will describe the current academic landscape of adolescent HIV and implementation science, such as the methodological use and utility of implementation measures and frameworks; address timely topics such as the use of innovative technologies for study adaptations in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic; and explore opportunities to enhance adolescent-responsive approaches to HIV prevention and treatment using implementation science.
Alliance Annual Forum
The Alliance convenes an annual forum that enables the exchange of ideas, insights and experiences in understanding factors that drive uptake and adherence to adolescent HIV prevention and treatment strategies to bridge the gap between research, programs and policy. Forum participants will include NIH-funded scientists conducting relevant implementation research; and in-country partners including PEPFAR in-country staff, key in-country government representatives, in-country research collaborators, and other stakeholders.
Joint AHISA/PATC3H/AGYW Forum, 2023April 2023 – Lusaka, Zambia
AHISA 6th Annual MeetingMarch 2-3, 2022- Virtual
Objectives: Reflect on the small awards contribution to implementation science collaborations and capacity; consider factors and opportunities related to sustainability; and develop next steps for the Alliance.
Joint AHISA, PATC3H, AGYM Forum, 2022February 8-9, 2022–Virtual
Objectives: Explore the implementation science questions related to upcoming innovations and existing challenges for adolescent HIV and reflect on identified implementation science determinants, outcomes, and strategies from across the AHISA/PATC3H networks.
AHISA 5th Annual MeetingFebruary 11-12, 2021 – Virtual
Objectives: To reflect on small awards contributions to sustainability and implementation science collaborations and networks; to think collectively about the COVID pandemic on program and research and the role of implementation science; and to consider the role of behavioral economics in AHISA-related research.
Joint AHISA/PATC3H/AGYW ForumFebruary 2020, Cape Town, South Africa
Objectives: To identify the most significant challenges to implementing proven interventions for prevention and treatment of HIV among adolescents; provide participants with approaches to implementation science; and explore opportunities for collaboration among participants, including the Prevention and Treatment through a
Comprehensive Care Continuum for HIV-affected Adolescents in Resource Constrained Settings (PATC3H) and
NIH Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in sub-Saharan Africa grantees.
Stakeholder Engagement and Implementation Science TrainingFebruary 2019, Kampala, Uganda
Objectives: To explore strategies for stakeholder engagement and strengthen the perspective of policymakers and program implementers within the context of AHISA and to build capacity in implementation science methods and application.
Implementation Science TrainingJanuary 2018, Johannesburg, South Africa
Objectives: To provide Alliance members with an in-depth overview of the theory, operational and evaluation approaches to implementation science; methods to assess barriers in implementation science and strategies/tools to overcome them; and options for dissemination of results.
Inaugural AHISA ForumMay 2017, Bethesda, MD
Objectives: To exchange ideas and information among the members, identify the most significant challenges to implementing proven interventions for prevention and treatment of HIV among adolescents, and collectively set goals and next steps for AHISA.
Updated September 20, 2023